Disposable cartridge for use in a photocopy machine



Au 20, 1963 J. w. CARLSON 3, 36.

DISPOSABLE CARTRIDGE FOR USE IN A PHOTOCOPY MACHINE Filed June 8, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENT 0R: 'JOHN w. CARL-SON ATT'YS Aug. 20, 1963 J. w. CARLSQN 3, 5

I DISPOSABLE CARTRIDGE FOR USE IN A PHOTOCOPY MACHINE Filed June 8. 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG 4 IAWENTOR.

CAR L 80 N ATT' Y s o r r 3,101,036 DISPGSABLE CARTREGE FOR USE IN A 1 PHOTGCOPY MACHINE 7 John W. Cnrlson, Chicago, Ill., msignor to Speed-G-irint Business Machines Corporation, a corporation of Iliinois Eiled June 8, 1960, Ser. No. 34,752

- 5 Claims. (Cl. 95-89) invention relates in general to a disposable cartridge construction which is particularly useful iii-connection with photocopy machines. f

Photocopy machines have become popular in recent years for olfice use in making copies of various types of docunie'ntsl: Some of the'machines require the useof a developer, fluid to develop-a print o flan original document ,wh iohhas' been exposed to light." :Thelinvention, herein is particularly directed to a disposable cartridge constructionwherein thedeveloper' fluid for a photocopymachine may be stored. l

i In most photocopy machines of this general vnature there is a tray or tank within which developer fluid is placed and through which the exposed light sensitive paper is passed. Usual-1y, the developer fluid must be placed in the tank or tray directly and manually and removed therefrom in the same way. A photocopy machine of this general type is disclosed in my earlier filed'copending application Serial No. 420 filed January 4, 1960,

now Patent No. 3,031,942. l

One advancement in this particulariart has been to pro vide a flexible-container'tfor-holding the developer fluid wherein the container is mounted :within the machine on ,idoororlhinged panel. A tubular flexible extension.

or onduit is-connected. to thel contairier at-one end and to a valve a he other end through which the developer *fluidmayfpass into. the traylz wvhen the. container is in a positionlabove the tray. Such anarrange'mentjis disclosed in Amy: earlier iiledflcopending application Serial No;

sansosniediui 17,1959; I

. epresent my a "on is designed mean-improvement over the aforesaid application Serial No.5827,'903 andhas.

thereouer. as avill be brought out more definite advantages clearly hereinafter,

' pecial-ly useful in connection vvith photooopylmaohi and: V

Another able cartridge:whereinr anouter cartonhasdisposed:

the bag to a tray in a photocopy machine.

posable 'cartridge consisting."of a. comparatively rigid i carton, Within which there is disposed a flexible bag conai g a e l pe uidzand erc 'n hca t ds ay l *When the'cartndgeis mountedwithinthegmachine, the:

. 1 be removablylmounted. within a photojoopymaohine;

f A -stil-l further"obje'ctof th copy machine wherein 'a" disposable cartridge conthe j aanige housing and it an gouteii relatively rigidc j'flexible'cont ne'r'or'ba'g ects and advantages of the invention will betive view of photocopy ma: cc of the presentinvention may a rear 15 chine withwhichthe lt is, therefore, one of the pr ncipal of thepresentj. ntion to provide adisposableg cartridge.which s, g H hich isadapted tocontaina fluidisuch as adeveloper" I nuidfl object of the inv ntion is d iohdela dispos .A further object of the invention isto provide a dis invention is to provide a v f 60 ta runga;ideveloper'fluidis mounted on alhinge d; panel of wherein jthe cartridge includes I "on' within hich is disposed a reading thejollowjiiig description.

anying fdrawingsyinl 3,101,036 Patented Aug. 20,. 1963 ICC in the condition in which it is shipped and prior to being placed within the machine;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but showing the cartridge in condition ready for use when it within the machine, and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view'taken substantially along the plane of line 7'7 of FIG. 3;

in the machine.-

bodimentof the, invention.shown hereingsuchmoiij g. means cons'ists-ofashell? 2le2ttending foi wardly into'the p v *e zmner face of theidoor' 's' dnd' is pro 'vided'with a transversely extending slot 22 extendinglrear wardly from the edge of-the'shelf as shown more clearly l in FIG. l Thepurposeofisuch a slot is to receive they.

1 machine zoom;

Referring now more particularly to the drawings and especially to FIG. 1, the photocopy machine used for purposes of illustrationis like that shown in my above referred tocopending applicationSerial No. 420'. The machine has a housing generally indicated by then'umeral 1 consisting of end members 2, a top 3, and a back 4. A portion of the backis cut out to provide a hinged panel or door Shinged along its bottom edged so that it maybe moved between a' substantially verticalposition; as shown in FIG.

. 1, and a substantially horizontal position when open. The door'or panel 5 has a latching member in connecti-on therewith which consists of a handle part 7 and an inwardly extending latching member 8 which may be p rotated in one direction so the latching member 8 will 00- operate with adetent 9 to lock the door or panel in closed position. (SeeFIG. 2.) i v As explained in my above referred to last mentioned pending applicaton, the machine is provided with a tank or tray (not shown. herein) for the, reception of the developer fluid While the machine is in use.

:Th'e disposable cartridge of'the present invention is generally indicated by thelnumeral 10 and consists of an outer carton of generally rectangular form having end members ll.--12,a top 13, a bottom 14, and sidefs 15 and s 16. This outer section is'relatively rigid and' may be formed-of any suitable material such as'icardboar d; I The bottom l4 ofthe carton isfprovided with an elongated; sl'ot' ll which hasfa tab, 18 extending trans versely thereof and intermediate its, ends. The tab 118 connected to the edges of'the slot 17 by score lines so'that the-,tabm-ay be easily removed therefrom when thebartridgeis to be made ready cior use.

, A flexible container or bag 19 isdisposed within mesaton ltlgand is provided withaflexibletubular'extension 20.

When thecar't ridgeiis originally formed,the container or bag 19 is placed within the carton so that the tube 20 will lie along the bottomof the cartonin the vicinity of the slot 17. The tube Ziiis held in place within the carton andis preventedirom passing tab ig-will be removed as shoWnin FIGQ6, andthetube: 20 will then extendthrough theslot-17 and may be-con nected 'by'any-su' able means with-theideveloper tray with- .Thd n flexible tube Ztlwhe'nit. connected to the developerltray.

is mounted t 3 I a I The torward edge of the shelf Zll is turned upwardly fluid therein, a tubular extensionon said flexible container 5 as at 23' to provide a stop to hold the carton 14B in place on adapted to pass through said opening and to said tray, the shelf, as shown in PEG. '2. i and means for mounting saidcarton on said hinged'pancl, I Suitable clamping or locking means is provided on the whereby, when said panel is in a substantially vertical 'inn'erface of the'doord to cooperate with the top'of the I 5 position the developer fluid will flowfrom said flexible carton and hold it in place. Such a means may incontainer tol said tr'ay, and when said panel is in a subclude a bracket generally indicated by the numeral 24 stantially horizontal position the developer'fluid will flowv and whioh'has an upturned flange 25 at its rear end rota- I fnorn'said tray into said flexible container. i 7 tably mounted on the door by means, such as the screw 26. V 3. In a photocopy machine, a housing, a tray in said The bracket then has a, forwardly extending portion 2'7 10 housing adapted to receive a'developer fluid, a closure adapted to lie along the topside of the carton It) and is member in one side of said housing movable between a then turned downwardly at its forward end, as at 28. substantially vertical closed position and a substantially I Initially, the bracket 24 will be rotated so that the end horizontal open position, a carton member mounted .on'the I 2% thereof extends upwardly. Theldi'sposable cartridge is inner side of said-closure'mernber, a flexible container dis; I then placed on the shelf 21 and the bracket 24 rotated to pose-e vWithin said carton adapted to contain adeveloper its'loeking'positionshown in FIGS, 2 and 7. This then I vfluid, and a tubular extension extending'from said flexible holds the cartridge in place on the door Whether the door container through said carton and connected with said ."isin'fully open orfully'closed position. 1 tray, said carton niernb'erbeing disposed labove t h'e level Aslexplained in my foregoing lastmentioned c'opending of said tray when said closure member is in' ciosed posiapplication, the tube 2% may be connected With-suitable 'tion so that the developer fluid will flow from said flexible valve means so that when the valve is open and the door container 'into'sai'd tray, and below the level of said tray; I

5 is in its substantially vertical closed position, the dewhen said closure member is in open position so thatthe r 1 veloper fluid will iiowtrorn the flexible container. through developer iluid will flow from saidtnay into said flexible the tube 20 and into the' developer tray. Whenthe door container, I r I I is opened to its substantally horizontal position, itwill be 25 4-. In a photocopy machine, a housing, a tray in said lower than the tray and the developer fluid Wiilflow therehousing adapted to receive a developer fluid, 'a' olosure from back into the flexible container. I member in one side of said housing movable between a I When theideyeloper fluid has lost its strength, the entire I substantially vertical lclosed position and a. substantially cartridge,h1oluding the outer vcarton andthe inner fiexiv horizontal open position, a carton member mounted on the ";ble"ba g,' may bediscarjded'anda new cartridge inserted in inner side of said closure member, a. flexible container dis itsplace ,1 I I I I ,I II posed within said carton adaptedto contain a developer t QT he' tiinbrovienient in thendisposable [cartridge of the Y fluid, aflexible tubular extension extending from said-flexi- I I present invention has many advantages over the use f bio oontainer through saidcarton'and connected-withsaid flexible; containers by itself. For example, the cartridge tray, and means on the inner side of said closure nienrber I beingIproyidedwit-h a relatively rigid outer carton is to removably mount said carton'thereon, said-carton mem easier to handle and is easier to pack for shipping purposes. 7 i361 ibtiing p dj the level i iyi r 1 I I The relatively rigid outer carton is much cleaner and-acts I Closure fii 39 p on 11 dQY li p as a, protection for the flexible bag to prevent damage fluid "W w om i flfli QQP H ifioss id y, f thereto.- I e a and below the level of said tray'whensaid'ciosure'menrben 51- I Furthermore," the relatively rigid cartonis susceptible 0 in F PQ H I h -fiie d ve op r fl i flQ to having printing placed thereon whereby advertising- T110111midimyiiflmsaidfieiiiblfi$031191 -I r I I material niay-beprinted thereon tordisplay purposes when 5. In a photocopy marchine, ahou'sing, a tray in, said i the cartridge iSdisplaYe'dQthuS Providing a definite adverhousing adapted t ve a develeperfiiiid, a i w tising'advantagel? I v I t I I member in one side ot said housinginrovable between a lfiha'nge's inay be made in the form,-'constr ctionand" 5 substantially Vertical, P0 i 9 nd a substantially arrangement of the parts Without departing fror'nthe spirit 1 t-h m BPQII PQ ii a c r cnmembe'r mounted on th i of the invention, and the right is hereby reserved to make s nH r Si e off saidclosure member, afiex-ible container dis; insecure tigers-s fair an within thescope Orr-he fol-f; p d-wi s d car n-a ap pom a v l pe i fluid, a flexib le tubulasextension extendin v frornjs'a' Ifollowsz I a {ii fiexible conta iner through-said,cartoirland connected w1th: 1 iA-fld' 'sprj ible' art idg r l s qig f r i I f fsaidtray, a Shelton the inner side of said closure .rnernber i afiuid foriise in a photocopymachine,whichiconiprises; IiP P l 'i fi y m0Y I1 P ,mgmbe iq I V g outer carton having n elongated opening ih'one; side r r me ab ma a mo n hd r n tgnv I thereof eXtendingIalong'thejrnajorportion Of'flle, length bsmgpe a er g e el a tray W ene V r 1 I ofsaid -side, a removable tab spanning said obening trans: 55 Closure member 1 3 r ,I S9 de s perr i Y yersely thereof,- an innerflexible COl'ltfilllGl"dlSPOSBdM/lthlll' fimd wlllfipw Sal-d fl contameymto r d' "said,cartonand adapted to containja fluid, and a tubular p f h of sald tray when 9 im extensionfon said flexible container normally disposed in her is In Open posmon so that the developer fluldu w 'juxtapositon. to said tab in parallel, substantially co-ex-' Said ii sqldfiexlble -p i, I tensive, adjacentrelation tosaid opening and'hel d withinv said-containe1 by said-jtab, but'adapted to passtlir'ough said opening upon removal of said tab, and'through 'which I Rete renee sfCited in thei iile Iot this patent I i I nun-E I Es PA NT is I II o I I ,I l I ,the fluid 13 adapted tofiow from said cont met. I I r 2,762,281: I

..2,s31 ,6 1 o v ,9 9,913

3343362 eegsso 

1. A DISPOSABLE CARTRIDGE CONSTRUCTION FOR CONTAINING A FLUID FOR USE IN A PHOTOCOPY MACHINE, WHICH COMPRISES AN OUTER CARTON HAVING AN ELONGATED OPENING IN ONE SIDE THEREOF EXTENDING ALONG THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE LENGTH OF SAID SIDE, A REMOVABLE TAB SPANNING SAID OPENING TRANSVERSELY THEREOF, AN INNER FLEXIBLE CONTAINER DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CARTON AND ADAPTED TO CONTAIN A FLUID, AND A TUBULAR EXTENSION ON SAID FLEXIBLE CONTAINER NORMALLY DISPOSED IN JUXTAPOSITION TO SAID TAB IN PARALLEL, SUBSTANTIALLY CO-EXTENSIVE, ADJACENT RELATION TO SAID OPENING AND HELD WITHIN SAID CONTAINER BY SAID TAB, BUT ADAPTED TO PASS THROUGH SAID OPENING UPON REMOVAL OF SAID TAB, AND THROUGH WHICH THE FLUID IS ADAPTED TO FLOW FROM SAID CONTAINER. 